Historical Analysis of Urban Fabric with a Focus on Physical Resilience to Floods (Case Study: Cheshmeh Kileh River, the City of Tonekabon)

Document Type : Research Article - Case Study

Authors

1 Professor, Department of human geography and planning, Faculty of geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Phd, Department of Urban Planning, Qa .c., Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Qa. c.,Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran.

10.22124/gscaj.2025.24035.1223

Abstract

Despite Iran’s rich cultural, historical, and technological foundations in architecture and urban planning, the current conditions reflect a significant weakness and inefficiency in confronting natural and human-made disasters. Therefore, urban development plans must increasingly prioritize strategies that enhance resilience and reduce the vulnerability of the urban fabric. This study aimed to analyze the historical evolution of the urban fabric surrounding the Cheshmeh Kileh River in the city of Tonekabon, focusing on its vulnerability to flooding over time. The research was applied in terms of purpose, relies on both documentary and field data, and followed a spatial execution method. Using sequential aerial imagery of the study area (at intervals of 20 to 25 years), necessary maps were prepared and analyzed within a GIS environment. The findings indicated that, despite rising awareness of the dangers associated with construction in river buffer zones, the extent of encroachment into the river’s margins during the two decades from the 1990s to the 2010s increased fivefold compared to the earlier period from 1969 to 1994. This reflects a significant rise in the vulnerability of the urban fabric to flooding. The underlying causes include the absence of approved flood management legislation, failure to define clear urban river boundaries amidst unregulated urban growth, lack of scientific approaches to implementing existing regulations, and limited institutional understanding of construction restrictions and zoning guidelines near urban rivers.

Highlights

  • A historical analysis of the urban fabric within flood-prone zones reveals a significant quantitative and qualitative expansion over time, which has considerably increased the vulnerability of these areas to flooding.

  • The lack of coordination among various urban management agencies has contributed to the failure in addressing and preventing vulnerable construction practices in past decades.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Geographical Studies of Coastal Areas Journal
Volume 6, Issue 3 - Serial Number 22
September 2025
Pages 103-119

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